Boyd Langton
Portrayed by Harry Lennix, Boyd Langton is a character of Dollhouse. An ex-cop, Boyd was first introduced as Echo's 'handler' - her guard/bodyguard. He monitored her internally and remotely while she was on an engagement. This ended, however, since he was promoted to be the Dollhouse's new Chief of Security. As far as anyone can tell, he hates himself for taking this job, but he'd lay down his life to protect the people he feels he's exploiting, and he feels a particular connection with Echo. Character Development Career Little is known about Langton's past, except that he was a cop sometime prior to the events of "Ghost." He joined the Dollhouse three months before the same episode, only a few days after Alpha's massacre. What ended his police career, how he found out about the Dollhouse, or what motivated him to join their staff (given their moral ambiguity) remain a mystery. Langton attempts to remain a white hat aloof from the Dollhouse's morally gray workers. He successfully argued DeWitt into allowing Echo to continue on an engagement that had ended in order to rescue the client's kidnapped daughter, he has treated other handlers with polite contempt, and has directly questioned Topher's methods. He is not only unafraid to question others in the Dollhouse, but also refuses to trust his superiors' word, for instance doubting that Alpha was truly dead as the Dollhouse claimed. He shares his doubts and opinions with Dr. Claire Saunders, who is one of the few other persons at the Dollhouse besides Echo whom Langton apparently respects (Although at the end of "Needs", he appeared to be disgusted by Saunders' attitude regarding what was done to Echo, Sierra, Victor and November, thinking of it more has a sick trick than any form of true closure). In "A Spy in the House of Love", Adelle promoted Boyd to chief of security, after Laurence Dominic was sent to the Attic after his deception. He did not want the position because he wanted to stay with Echo and continue to be her handler, but Adelle insisted in his promotion. When Echo was being prepared for her new handler, he showed a sense of not wanting to leave her side and Echo seemed to not want to forget him, for she stared at him the entire time she was going under the handler imprint. In "Belonging", Boyd follows Echo closely, realizing that, unlike other Actives, she can read, and is planning something. Later he secretly gives her an all-access security pass. In the same episode, Boyd helps Topher and Sierra by arranging for the disappearance of Nolan Kinnard, killed by Sierra in self defense. He shows considerable expertise in disposing of dead bodies, as well as contacts outside the Dollhouse. In "Epitaph One", Boyd is seen briefly packing bags and leaving the Dollhouse. The reasons for going on the run are left unclear though he says Echo is already in danger and that the Dollhouse will hunt him once he's gone. He appears to be injured in some way, taking extra bandages and infection medicine with him. While he packs, he talks to a tearful Saunders, who implies that over the course of however much time had passed their mutual respect evolved into a relationship. He eventually leaves, telling the heart-broken Saunders he will come back for her. Relationships *'Echo': At the outset of the show, Langton balanced his ex-cop instincts with his desire to protect Echo. He clearly showed care for her, calling Topher to task for imprinting her with physical limitations that put her at risk on the job. When he argued with Adelle DeWitt to allow Echo to continue the engagement after it had been bungled, he showed confidence either in Echo's ability to find the kidnapper who took their client's daughter, or in Miss Penn's. However, Langton's arguments may also indicate that he valued justice above Echo's safety. In "The Target," we see that Langton was not always so balanced. When the Dollhouse first hired him, his belief that Echo does not fit his definition of "person" made her just a job to him. He was skeptical of the importance of the handler/Active bonding process and was reluctant to take Echo's hand. Although Langton's affection for Echo has clearly grown by "Ghost," it is in "The Target" that we see the development and subsequent nature of their relationship. It is in this episode that Langton put his own life at risk for Echo's and received a life-threatening wound in return. At this point, he submitted to the reversal of the Handler/Active script when Echo asked him, "Do you trust me?" and he replied, "With my life," after which, having providing her with a weapon, he allowed her to protect the both of them for the remainder of the episode. In season 2 Boyd notices some odd behaviour in Echo and discovers that not only can she read but she is remembering things. Rather than report her he confronts her cautioning saying that her desire to save everyone could cause more harm than good. However after having time to think about and seeing the danger of somone like Nolan he smmugles Echo in all acsess pass of the compound for "When the Storm comes". Trivia * Paul Ballard was the only major male character to appear in the season two episode "Instinct"; both Boyd and Victor never appeared. * Joss Whedon has stated that there is a reason that Boyd is in the Dollhouse and that later episodes/seasons will explore exactly why this morally strict ex-cop has agreed to work for such a morally shady corporation. Category:Characters Category:Main characters Category:Handlers